Is Bungie developing Destiny 3 or is the studio’s latest series nearing its end? On September 9, 2014, the long-awaited return of Bungie hit shelves and gamers everywhere were delighted. Although the original Destiny title wasn’t what many had hoped, mostly because it had to live up to expectations formed by the original Halo trilogy, Destiny did most things well. Of course, with any new game release these days, a sequel is inevitable, especially after it sells enough to make the suits happy.
Now, in 2024, Destiny 2 has been through a lot. Multiple expansions have received a mix of stellar and not-so-great reviews, Bungie ownership changed several times, and new information came forward about what the critically acclaimed development studio is working on next. The sequel is in its seventh year as we enter 2024, and most gamers are dying to know if more content is in development or if a third Destiny title is on the way. In the age of live-service video games, the only options are more Destiny 2 or Destiny 3, but which is coming? Will there be a Destiny 3?
Will Bungie make a Destiny 3?
As of the beginning of 2024, there are no public plans for Bungie to create a third installment for the Destiny series. That said, those close to the industry know how quickly things can change, and you never really know if a series is dead or not. However, we know what Bungie is working on, and it has nothing to do with the Destiny games.
What we are getting is something familiar from Bungie, but it doesn’t star Master Chief or require weekly check-ins with Xur. Instead, it’s even more of a throwback, with Marathon returning for the first time since pre-Halo. For gamers unfamiliar, Marathon was originally a first-person shooter developed and published by Bungie, released in December 1994 for Apple Macintosh. The studio would then go on to release two more games, establishing its first trilogy before it really put itself on the map with Halo: Combat Evolved in 2001.
On May 24, 2023, the studio unveiled a new version of the classic shooter, simply titled Marathon. Only this time, it’s been labeled a “new sci-fi PVP extraction shooter.” The announcement trailer offers everything you’d expect from a Bungie title but doesn’t show any gameplay just yet. We look forward to more footage of the upcoming game sometime in the near future.
Does Marathon mean the end of the Destiny series?
Does the upcoming release of Marathon mean Bungie is no longer working on Destiny, specifically a Destiny 3? Nothing is certain, as the studio hasn’t come out and said nothing more is happening with Destiny. However, with the last expansion set to release sometime in 2024, The Final Shape, it sure seems like it’s the end of Destiny 2 content. As most can probably figure out, the title of the expansion even hints that it’s the end of the sequel.
Does that mean a third game can’t possibly happen? Of course not. However, we’d advise not getting your hopes up for now, and certainly not holding your breath for an announcement anytime soon. With Marathon on the horizon, likely going the same Destiny live-service route with support for years to come, the majority of Bungie resources are likely devoted to it. In short, as of the beginning of 2024, Destiny 3 isn’t happening.
Could there be a Destiny revival in the future?
Following the release and likely multiple expansions for Marathon, Bungie could begin development on more Destiny content. Of course, this is purely speculation, as the studio could also choose to drop the IP completely. Based on the development lifecycle of the two Destiny titles, we’d be looking at an estimated release date somewhere in the 2028-2030 range. The studio would need time to make Marathon a proper success, assuming players and critics love it, iron out the problems, and release new content for a few years.
The creation of Destiny 3 would likely overlap with Marathon support, so it could happen sooner than we think. It all depends on how everything goes, specifically how the company manages Destiny 2 and Marathon going forward, and the overall reception for the new extraction shooter. If Marathon’s release is a failure, which is unlikely, we’d expect to see Destiny 3 announced far sooner than anyone expected.
It’s also entirely possible Bungie works on the two titles simultaneously. Given the title of the Destiny 2 expansion seeming like the end of the game, as well as radio silence on content going forward, it seems like the two options for our beloved franchise are Destiny 3 or death, and we hope it’s the former. Though, if Marathon has the top-tier Bungie gunplay we all love, plus new mechanics and creative twists on the extraction shooter genre, it could definitely be enough to keep us busy for a while.
